Search Results: Authors starting with D from Whitmore Rare Books

London: A. Strahan for T. Cadell, 1802. First English language edition. The first complete translation into English of Dante's "Divine Comedy." Bound in recent, full maroon straight-grained morocco, smooth spines ruled and titled in gilt, marbled end papers, all edges sprinkled red. The odd spot or bit of foxing internally, heaviest in the third volume, but an excellent set overall. Three 8vo volumes (pages 211 x 132 mm), collating: vi, [2], 408; [ii], 56, [ii (divisional title)], 57-62, 65-384 (complete); [ii], 420pp., engraved frontispiece portrait plate of Dante by Thomas Stothard in vol.1; complete. One of the world's great masterpieces and a foundational text of Italian literature. The Comedy took over a decade for Dante to write, he worked on it in exile, having been sent out of his native Florence in 1302, when his political faction fell out of favor. The work's genius was quickly recognized -- Boccaccio himself was so obsessed with it that he was responsible for adding the prefix "Divine."… Read More

London: A. Strahan for T. Cadell, 1802. First English language edition. The first complete translation into English of Dante's "Divine Comedy." Bound in full contemporary calf. Boards ruled in gilt with decorative blindstamped borders. Armorial insignia of the Dunalley baronage blindstamped on the front of each board. Marbled end papers and text block. Spines joints and corners repaired. Internally clean and fresh, with Catherine Dunalley's name written in pencil on the title page of each volume (wife of Henry Prittie, 1st Baron Dunalley). A handsome set overall. Three 8vo volumes (pages 215 x 128 mm), collating: vi, [2], 408; [ii], 56, [ii (divisional title)], 57-62, 65-384 (complete); [ii], 420pp., engraved frontispiece portrait plate of Dante by Thomas Stothard in vol.1; complete. One of the world's great masterpieces and a foundational text of Italian literature. The Comedy took over a decade for Dante to write, he worked on it in exile, having been sent out of his native Florence in 1302, when… Read More

Derby: J. Drewry, 1797. First edition. Contemporary quarter calf over marbled boards; spine ruled in gilt with red morocco label; all edges dyed yellow. Boards and spine rubbed; some chipping along edges. Original stab holes visible in gutter margins. Previous owner's bookplate on front pastedown; ink signature of Mary Wolley to front free endpaper; light foxing. Quarto collates complete, with half title and engraved frontispiece: viii, [9]-128. Bound after Fosbrooke, T.D. The Economy of Monastic Life. Glocester: Printed by R. Raikes, [1792]. First edition, dedicated to Edward Jenner who is also listed as a subscriber. Internally a copy in excellent condition. The grandfather of the illustrious Charles Darwin, Erasmus Darwin wrote this treatise on the education of young women to support his own daughters' school at Ashbourne. Darwin's treatise takes a comprehensive view of women's education, suggesting that it should reach beyond social skills such as the "perpetual appearance of attention," polite… Read More

N.P., 1797. Bound in late eighteenth-century full red roan. Covers with gilt single fillet border, smooth spine ruled in gilt, board edges and turn-ins decoratively tooled in gilt, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Blank book, interleaved and with thirty-three leaves with sixty-six mounted engravings (front and back of each medal), including thirty-one medals by Jean Dassier of the Sovereigns of England from William I to George II, including Oliver Cromwell (without the medals of the medals for Richard III, Henry VII, and Henry VIII), as well as medals of George III (by Lewis Pingo) and Queen Charlotte (by John Kirk). A fascinating collection. "Having being presented to Queen Caroline, perhaps through the good offices of Wake, Dassier set out proposals for a set of thirty-three medals of English sovereigns from William I to George II, to whom the series was dedicated. Based on engravings by George Vertue for Paul Rapin de Thoyras's History of England, these were advertised in the prospectus… Read More

Paris: A.G. Mornay, 1928. First thus. Near Fine. Exemplaire No. 656. Original publisher's pictorial wraps, measuring 200 x 150mm and illustrated throughout. A lovely example, with minor creasing to spine and gentle wear to spine ends. Internally bright, pleasing and fresh. Henri de Renier's first novel is an examination of gender and class dynamics. A mother terrorizes and controls her son; one cousin tries to seduce another; and a forward courtesan and a libertine run rampant. The present example is a visual triumph, as colorful as its characters. A leader in the Ecole des Beaux Arts, the illustrator Barbier brought his own flamboyant personal style to his artwork, resulting in a sense of vibrancy and movement. Near Fine.

Paris: A & G Mornay, 1930. First thus. Very Good. Exemplaire N. LXXV printed on Papier de Rives. Original publisher's pictorial wrappers, measuring 200 x 150mm and illustrated throughout. A pleasing example, with a bit of wear to wraps; some browning externally and scattered foxing internally. Some cracking to the spine and along the front joint. Largely known for his poetry, Henri de Regnier shifted toward writing realistic novels and tales in his later career. The present, beautifully illustrated by Barbier, infuses rich color and movement into the narrative. A leader in the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Barbier brought his own flamboyant personal style to his artwork, resulting in a sense of vibrancy and movement. Very Good.

London: Saunders & Otley, 1836. Second edition in English. Two octavo volumes, collating xliv, 333, [2 ads]; vi [of viii], 462, [2 ads]: with the folding map to the front of volume 1; half-title in volume 1, lacking half-title in volume 2 and lacking the second leaf of the table of contents. Bound in contemporary half-calf over marbled boards, marbled end papers, rebacked but retaining the original spines. Folding map, outlined in color, with a few cracks along the folds, some repaired on the verso, otherwise an excellent set internally. The second edition in English of Part I, which was originally released in French and English a year earlier in 1835. Part II of Democracy in America would not appear in first edition in the Paris or London imprints until 1840. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a… Read More

London: Saunders and Otley, 1840. First English language edition. Near Fine. Third Edition of Part One and First Edition of Part Two. Four octavo volumes (pages: 198 x 120 mm) bound uniformly in the publisher's cloth, likely sold together as a set in 1840 (using the remaining 1838 sheets for part one). Collating: xxxvi, 302, [2, ads]; viii, 325, [2, ads]; xv, 333, [2, ads]; viii, 365, [2, ads]; complete with the folding map in part one, half-titles to the first two volumes and 2 pages of ads at the rear of each volume. A touch of foxing to the final volume, but otherwise exceptionally clean internally. Extremely rare in cloth in any condition, let alone in such an exquisite state of preservation. Near Fine overall, unread and completely unrestored. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a successful… Read More

Paris: Pagnerre, 1850. Thirteenth Edition. Revised, corrected and augmented with a comparative examination of democracy in the United States and Switzerland, and an appendix. Text in French. Inscribed by the author: "à M. Courbis offert par l'auteur AT." Bound in a contemporary French binding of green quarter morocco over paper boards, marbled end-papers. Two volumes bound together in one, collating: viii, 512; viii, 476. Binding with slight chipping at the head of the spine, otherwise in excellent condition. Besides the present example, only one other inscribed copy of this 1850 revised edition can be found in the auction record, selling for 11,875 euro in 2013. De Tocqueville's seminal work on American government, first printed the same year in Paris. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a successful… Read More

London: Saunders and Otley, 1840. First English language edition. Two octavo volumes collating: xvi, 333, [2 ads]; viii, 365, [2 ads]. Contemporary half calf over marbled boards, marbled end papers, black morocco spine labels, rebacked but retaining original spines. An excellent copy internally in a handsome contemporary binding. The first English language edition of de Tocqueville's seminal work on American government, first printed the same year in Paris. De Tocqueville, a French aristocrat, visited America between 1831 and 1832, ostensibly to study the penal system, although his interest was considerably broader. It seems logical that France would look to America as a beacon of hope for a successful democracy. After France embraced the goals of equality and democracy in 1789 at the start of the French Revolution, it found itself first in a dictatorship under Napoleon and then in one constitutional monarchy after another during the years following. De Tocqueville's astute observation of several… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Fine. Very early issue, with all but 3 of Smith's 'internal flaws.' Finely bound by Bayntun in full red morocco with a portrait of Dickens on the front cover and his signatures on the rear in gilt. Gilt titles and decorative spine compartments on the spine, all edges gilt. Marbled end papers. Complete, with the half title and vignette title, the eight-line errata, and 40 engraved plates (including the first example of a "dark plate" facing page 547). A handsome copy in a lovely binding. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key themes that appear throughout Dickens' authorial career—concerns about family duty, class position, child welfare, and the dangers of arranged marriages in particular. As the titular Dombey builds his shipping company, he fantasizes that his son will someday take over the business and continue his legacy. But England is changing rapidly due to the effects of industrialization, and its effects ripple throughout Victorian… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Near Fine. Finely bound by Morrell in three-quarter green morocco, all edges gilt, spines with intricate details and raised bands, marbled end papers. An excellent copy overall, with four additional portrait plates bound in, depicting characters from the novel. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key themes that appear throughout Dickens' authorial career—concerns about family duty, class position, child welfare, and the dangers of arranged marriages in particular. As the titular Dombey builds his shipping company, he fantasizes that his son will someday take over the business and continue his legacy. But England is changing rapidly due to the effects of industrialization, and its effects ripple throughout Victorian culture. One symbol of industrialization's promise (and its perils) is the railroad. In chapter six, Dickens calls the railroad's impact a "great earthquake." Dombey and Son grapples with the effects of industrialization, and the… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1859. First edition. Original printed wraps with near-invisible restoration to some spines. A Near Fine, largely unopened copy, with occasional marginal foxing or offsetting from the plates. First printing with p. 213 numbered 113 (and the other points in Smith), but without signature "b" on the list of illustrations. Complete with all sixteen etched plates by "Phiz" and all advertisements called for in Hatton & Cleever (including the scarce Thackeray ad for Cornhill Magazine), plus an additional sixteen pages of ads in parts VII and VIII not mentioned in the bibliography. Housed in a custom slipcase with chemise bearing the bookplate of Michael Sharpe. Published in 1859, A Tale of Two Cities is considered one of the greatest of Dickens' works and contains one of the most recognizable openings in the English language: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Originally released in parts, after its completion A Tale of Two Cities became (and still remains) one… Read More

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1848. First edition. Near Fine. Small 8vo: [viii], 188; complete. A solid, Near Fine copy with all required points by Smith (II.9). A few small ink spashes on the cloth and a small circular embossed ownership stamp on the front end paper, otherwise in excellent condition. Dickens' fifth and final Christmas book. As in his other Christmas books, Dickens is rather heavy-handed with his moral: that it is better to forgive than forget. Near Fine.

London: Chapman and Hall, 1837. First edition. Near Fine. Bound in the publisher's full crushed purple morocco, all edges gilt. Stamped in gilt on the spine and with blind rules on the boards and spine. With original yellow-coated end papers. A lovely, Near Fine copy overall. One spot of offsetting on the first couple leaves, otherwise quite clean internally. The book complete and entirely unrestored. Collating [xvi], 609, [1], complete with half title and 43 inserted plates. A few of Hatton and Cleaver's first issue points to the later half of text; all plates in the Phiz states and with the later Chapman & Hall imprints. Given that the early parts continued to be reprinted (and corrected) while the later parts were produced, it is common for the cloth-bound (or publisher's morocco-bound copies) to have most of the earlier misprints corrected, as here. Dickens' first novel, showcasing his astounding talent for sketching charming, sympathetic characters, helped to launch his career. "Its main… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1839. First edition. Bound by Bayntun in three-quarter red calf over cloth boards, all edges gilt. Spine a bid faded, internally an excellent copy. Complete with the half-title and all 40 plates engraved by Phiz. Likely washed at the time of binding (as most plates show little to no foxing). Most of Smith's internal flaws are found, including the ones of pgs. 123 and 160, only found in the earliest copies bound from the parts. Nicholas Nickleby, Dickens' third novel, was originally serialized in monthly parts, then issued as a book in cloth. The publishers also had a small number of copies bound up in the present morocco both for presentation - a census of copies inscribed by Dickens on publication show them all to be in the green morocco binding - and for sale to the public at a higher price. "Dickens' third novel has always been a favourite with the general public. Indeed, it was the book's huge sales that enabled Dickens to give up parliamentary reporting and become a… Read More

London: Bradbury & Evans, 1850. First Edition. Near Fine. Early 20th century three quarters blue crushed morocco over marbled boards with gilt to spine. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Bookplates of Jeffrey Stern and Christopher Clark Geest to front pastedown. Original wrappers for parts IV and VII at front (laid in and bound in, respectively). Spine gently sunned and light rubbing to extremities. Generally clean internally with only a few spots of foxing to a handful of plates. A handsome copy of one of Dickens' best, and his most autobiographical novel. Early issue without the misprint: "screamed" for "screwed" on page 132 line 20 (often lacking from first edition copies); but with the other issue points, including: Chapter XXVII is on page 282 rather than page 283 as listed in the table of contents; 16: 1 and 225: 22 both read "recal" rather than "recall"; 19: 39 reads "cha pter ; ut"; 387: 45 reads "coroboration" rather than "corroboration"; 472: 37 has no closing of the quotation marks; and… Read More

London: Bradbury and Evans, 1848. First edition. Fine. Very early issue, with all but 5 of Smith's 'internal flaws.' Finely bound full red morocco with a portrait of Dickens on the front cover and his signatures on the rear in gilt (binding unsigned, but seems to be Bayntun). Gilt titles and decorative spine compartments on the spine, all edges gilt. Marbled end papers. Bound without half title else complete, with vignette title, eight-line errata, and all 40 engraved plates (including the first example of a "dark plate" facing page 547). A handsome copy in a lovely binding. Housed in a custom slipcase. Dombey and Son tackles a number of key themes that appear throughout Dickens' authorial career—concerns about family duty, class position, child welfare, and the dangers of arranged marriages in particular. As the titular Dombey builds his shipping company, he fantasizes that his son will someday take over the business and continue his legacy. But England is changing rapidly due to the effects of… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1908. First Thus. The National Edition. Limited to 750 sets printed for England and America, this set unnumbered. Forty large octavo volumes. With approximately 1,000 illustrations, with plates by Cruikshank, Browne, Leech, et al. Title-pages printed in red and black. With many reproductions or the original parts wrappers on colored paper. Volume I with an envelope signed by Dickens and an ALS by John Foster, Dickens' biographer. On the first blank of volume I is a mounted small envelope addressed by Dickens to Edward Chapman (his publisher), and signed by Dickens on the lower left corner. Facing that page is a mounted autograph letter signed by John Foster (Dickens' friend and biographer) addressed to George Cattermole, the artist who illustrated The Old Curiosity Shop. Foster letter is on stationery and is dated 21 September, 1860. Two sixteenmo pages on one octavo sheet, folded. Set is uniformly bound by Riviere & Son in half brown levant morocco over brown cloth.… Read More

London: Chapman and Hall, 1839. First edition. Very Good. A rare copy of Nickleby in the original publisher's cloth. This copy without some of the earliest issue points: pg. 123 and pg. 160 with corrected spellings, first four plates without Chapman and Hall imprints. A Very Good copy with wear to the cloth along the lower spine hinge and at the board edges. Original yellow end-papers with some splitting at the inner hinges. Moderate foxing to the plates, pages generally clean. But on the whole, and authentic and attractive copy of the first edition in book form. "Dickens' third novel has always been a favourite with the general public. Indeed, it was the book's huge sales that enabled Dickens to give up parliamentary reporting and become a full-time writer...The theatricality of the novel attracted new and more appreciative critical attention [and it] demonstrates the inextricable link between public and private" (Bannerjee). A satire tackling the injustices faced by both women and men within the… Read More